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Moving to the Cloud: Why Your Phone System is a Great Place to Start

In its projections for cloud services, Gartner sees a widely expanding market. The analyst firm says the overall public cloud market will grow by 16.5% and be worth $204 billion by the end of 2016. In addition, the markets for Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) are all set to grow between 20% and 40% as enterprises seek to cut data center costs and deploy systems and databases over more cost-effective networks.

Despite these growing adoption rates, many companies still aren’t ready to make a full-scale move to cloud-based technologies. If you are among those who want to take a measured approach to cloud adoption, look no further than your phone system as a great place to start. By working with a communications provider who offers both cloud and hybrid phone systems, you’ll not only get expert guidance, but also the flexibility to customize a migration path that fits your business.

1. You can manage deployments in small groups. For many businesses, the phone system is the ideal service to serve as a catalyst in your transition to the cloud. Since it can be deployed in a phased approach, you can learn by transitioning small groups, teams or locations one at a time with little overall risk. Plus, you can also lean on the expertise of your service provider since most cloud vendors have helped countless other companies through similar transitions.

Beyond the initial implementation, businesses can also learn how to manage overall cloud applications from their service partners. They offer expertise your company may not have internally, making them an ideal resource to help you build a path to the cloud.

2. You have the flexibility to embrace the cloud fully, or bit by bit. Not only can deployments be phased, but moving your business communications to the cloud doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. You can choose a full cloud deployment or start with a hybrid approach that combines both cloud and onsite solutions. Hybrid solutions allow you to mix and match communications applications as you need them, and give your company the flexibility to deploy only what your business requires today, while keeping the option open to add additional cloud services or locations later.

3. You can make smarter use of internal resources. A system provider with cloud expertise can help you make better use of your internal IT resources. With a cloud deployment, applications are hosted remotely and maintained by the provider, relieving IT of most or all network-related tasks. The business then consumes the services on a subscription basis rather than owning the infrastructure. In this model, the cloud provider manages the extra workload while freeing your IT team to focus on the initiatives that drive revenue for your business.

4. You can gain the buy-in you need to move forward with other cloud-based solutions. For any deployment to be successful, it must have buy-in from users. By focusing on your phone system early in your migration, you can introduce employees to the cloud’s many time-saving, productivity-enhancing benefits of the cloud. As their comfort grows, your ability to transition other systems and processes to the cloud will become easier. A provider with a reputation for excellent customer service and training options will help you quickly get buy-in from your employees.

For many of today’s businesses, a move to the cloud is just a matter of time. Choosing a phased approach with an early focus on your phone system is a smart choice, and tapping the expertise of a cloud phone service provider can make it an even smarter one.